A Moveable Feast

Wondering what I did during my week in NYC? Did I go to any museums? Take in a show? Visit the Statue of Liberty or go to the top of the Empire State Building?

No. No. No and no. I ate.

New York has amazing restaurants and for a week straight it was breakfast, lunch, and dinner with friends at various restaurants throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan.

I ate Mexican food more than anything else. There is no Mexican food in Germany, so I needed to get my fill while I could. I had chicken tamales on Alma's amazing roof deck in Red Hook; ordered from a taco truck in West Chelsea and ate on the roof deck at Martha Stewart's offices (and yes, her roof deck is as nice as you'd imagine it to be); and basically inhaled an order of the fantastic guacamole at Mercadito in the East Village.

Italian, a perpetual favorite, came in a close second. I had an amazing breakfast of toast with ricotta and poached fruit at Morandi in the West Village and pasta with ragu and mini meat balls at Little Frank on First Avenue just off Houston.

Other highlights included salads at La Bonne Soup in Midtown and the Salad Queen in Williamsburg. Spanish-inspired pressed sandwiches at the Oak Wine Bar and Café near the Graham Avenue stop on the L train, and excellent fish at Riingo near Grand Central Station.

Pamper Me

On Friday I got to spend some time with one of my sisters and her daughters. And, what better way to kill of few hours with the girls then to get pedicures?

My feet were long over due for a little pampering too. I know that you can get a pedicure in Germany, but I have yet to get one there. My five-year-old niece was excited for her first pedi, which she described as, "so relaxing."

Entertain Me

Last night I went to the movies for the first time in over 10 months. There are English movies in Bonn — right around the corner from my house in fact — but the time never seems to work with my schedule. So instead I waited until I returned to the states for a flicks fix.

I saw the Sex and the City movie. It wasn’t as good as the series, but the movie was fun and entertaining — kind of like visiting old friends that you haven’t seen in a while.

Tonight I am going to the summer theater where I worked throughout high school and college. The show is Gypsy, which I’ve never seen before. And, of course, after the show we’ll go to the cabaret, for the post-show review and coffee.

I haven’t been to a show here in years and years. I wonder how it will live up to my memories.

A Whirlwind Weekend

Since arriving in the states last Thursday, I've had every moment scheduled, maximizing my time here to see family and friends, sampling my favorite foods, and stocking up on supplies you just can't find in Germany.

My father picked us up at the airport and took us directly to Tony's Pizzeria in Middletown, NY. I have been eating pizza here for as long as I can remember and was happy to share the experience with Kevin. Kevin was just happy to have a good pie, since he was talking about getting a slice for dinner long before we touched down.

Even though pizza is popular throughout Europe, I haven't found a place yet that serves up true American pizza. We ordered a large pie with mushrooms and happily ate the big, ol' slices. We ate with our hands, something the Germans don't do, and enjoyed not sticking out in the crowd. (In the picture Kevin isn't eating pizza with a knife and fork, he's trying some of the meatball sub that we also ordered.)

The next morning, we made a stop at the Woodbury Commons. On multiple occasions while abroad, I've had German friends and acquaintances tell me about the "gigantic outlet mall," when they learn that I grew up in upstate New York. I was reminded of these tourists when I heard German announcements just moments after parking the car. And indeed, throughout the morning there was plenty of German for me to practice ease dropping on.

Next, we headed down to Spring Lake, NJ for a wedding of one of Kevin's close friends. The ceremony, which took place on the porch of a Victorian hotel on Ocean Avenue, was lovely. The reception that followed allowed us to catch up with tons of friends. After dancing the night away, we were happy that our hotel was right next-door.

The inn were we slept included a yummy breakfast on the porch, which also overlooked the ocean. Then it was only a quick trip across the street to get to the boardwalk. I trained for two marathons along this stretch of ocean, and my morning walk made me home sick for the Jersey Shore summers of my past.

But there was no time to get nostalgic for Kevin and I had some more old haunts to visit. We had lunch on at the Columns in Avon, Kevin's old stomping grounds. And then, even though I was filled to the gills with Buffalo chicken, drove to Bradley Beach to get smoothies from Fin's.

Armed with a Jersey Girl smoothie, which includes strawberries and peaches, it was time to get back on the parkway. Four hours later, with a sampling of D.C.-area traffic, we arrived in Rockville, Maryland for a visit and dinner with my uncle.

By the time we arrived at Kevin's friend's house in Fredrick later that night we were both exhausted. Thank goodness it was the summer solstice, because Kevin and I really maximized the length of the day.

Sunday, though more relaxing, was deceptively busy again. I went to the lake to play in the water with the kids while Kevin and his friend had some time to go fishing. Then everyone went for a ride around the lake on the boat before heading home for lunch. That's when Kevin and I got back in the car to drive a few towns over to have lunch with his brother and parents. The whole gang then headed back to Fredrick for a barbeque with more of Kevin's high school friends.

Monday morning we left Maryland and headed north to Scranton, PA were we met Kevin's grandmother for lunch. Grandma Helen is an amazing. At 80+ (she made me promise not to tell anyone her real age) she still lives on her own, walks to church everyday, meets her girlfriends for coffee (not Starbuck's, she'd never spend that much for a cup of coffee), and knows how to shop the sales. She's also feisty and funny and is a great role model for how to keep active and fit at any age.